A Letter from MCAD President Sanjit Sethi Regarding COVID-19

Dear MCAD Community,

For many of us the past few weeks have been exhausting ones with a dizzying amount of information about the COVID-19 pandemic. While there have been no confirmed cases of the virus within the MCAD community at this time, we want to act responsibly, reasonably, and proactively. For that reason we have made the following decisions to support the health and wellbeing of our MCAD community and beyond:

Friday, March 13 classes will proceed as scheduled.

Starting Monday, March 16 all classes will be postponed through Sunday, March 29. If students choose to do so, they can be on campus any time before classes resume on Monday, March 30. All college facilities will be open and accessible including on-campus apartments, studios, library, 3D and print shops, and the college center. The cafeteria will be open from March 23-27 with limited hours and menu.

All public events that host twenty or more attendees have been canceled through Thursday, April 30. We are looking at other ways to offer these events online or at a later date. Check our online calendar for updates and changes.

While students are on break from on-campus classes for the next two weeks, faculty will use the time from March 23-27 to prepare for alternative methods of delivering curriculum if needed.

At MCAD the safety of our community is our top priority. With this in mind we may need to make additional changes to current operations and academic plans. We will continue to work closely with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and peer organizations to determine next steps and make informed decisions as this rapidly changing situation evolves. For any updates, please check our webpage MCAD COVID19 for the latest information. In addition, the CDC and MDH are the best sources for up-to-date news and guidance for staying healthy and safe.

MCAD is a community dedicated to creativity, empathy and innovation. We are also a community deeply committed to supporting each other. While this is an uneasy time for us, it is through these moments that we come together to support excellence and help our community thrive.